Man reportedly seen with machine gun in West Oakland

Neil Joseph Harris wanted after SWAT situation at apartment building off Fifth Avenue

UPDATED 1:40 AM EDT Aug 14, 2013

PITTSBURGH -

Reports of a man with an automatic weapon on a West Oakland rooftop in the area of Fifth Avenue drew a large response from Pittsburgh police and a SWAT team Tuesday morning.

The suspect -- identified as Neil Joseph Harris, 27, of Uptown -- remained at large Tuesday evening. Police said he's wanted on misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, simple assault by physical menace and possessing instruments of a crime. Anyone who has information on his whereabouts should call 911 or call police at 412-422-6520.

Assistant Chief Maurita Bryant said a woman went to a De Ruad Street apartment looking for a man who allegedly assaulted her niece the previous night, and she found him with a firearm -- described by her as "a small machine gun" -- as he yelled and threatened to shoot people.

The woman ran and called 911. Dozens of officers from Zones 2 and 4 responded as backup after the woman and a second witness reported that the man was last seen on the roof of the apartment building.

Police closed the street, along with parts of Forbes Avenue and Seneca Street, while paramedics took positions for medical support at street corners and a state police helicopter searched for the man by air.SLIDESHOW: Photos of the SWAT situation

"The first cars on the scene -- they set up a perimeter and SWAT arrived," Bryant said. "It was approximately about 30 SWAT operators, medic technicians, negotiators that arrived on scene, secured the building and did a complete search of the building. He was not found at this time."

Concerned family members showed up at the John Heinz Family Center, a nearby day care. Police said no children were in danger.

During the SWAT response, police got a tip that the man was gone from the building and had been seen in the area of Chauncey Street in the Hill District.

Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said investigators did not recover a weapon inside the empty apartment, and they don't think it was really a machine gun but rather a firearm larger than a handgun.

Photos: West Oakland SWAT situation

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Reports of a man on a roof with "a small machine gun" brought a large Pittsburgh police response to De Ruad Street.